Council lifts lid on confidential fig legal advice

Despite threats of legal action hanging over Newcastle Council, the Lord Mayor John Tate says a third party assessment of the Laman Street fig trees will continue.

Councillor Bob Cook is insisting the motion to have a third party assessment of the trees was contrary to the code of meeting practice and that the vote is invalid.

Council voted last night to make publicly available the legal advice given to council about the motion.

The advice from a Senior Counsel says if the resolution was challenged in court, the court could find it invalid or valid.

Councillor Tate stands by the motion and says he was given advice that he was right to proceed with it.

"The legal advice raises a question, is that decision voidable or not," he said.

"Now a lot of things can be challenged in court, a parking fine for example.

"This resolution of council on the 13th of September could be challenged in court, but unless somebody takes that on themselves to do that then the advice clearly states that the General Manager continue with the resolution."